South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1887-07-08
WILD BILL.
Incidents In the Career or o
Western "Dead Shot,"
Killing Two Soldiers in tbs Twinklng O,
an Eye

Captain Jack Crawford, the scout,
has been giving Kansas City Times
reporter some interesting facts about
'sWild Bill" noted western character,
who was shot dead some years ago. The
reporter said:
wild Bill was good shot, WIS he
not7'
with the six-shooter he was simply
wonderful. In my entertainment give
an illustration of double shot he made
out at Hays City, KIM, in the carly
days. when he shot two soldiers, one in
front OF him and one directly behind
him, each endeavoring 10 shoot
him before he could draw hi.
gun. He killed one and MORALLY
wounded the other, and the two report,
OF his revolver seemed almost as one.
The marvellous feat was tho talk of the
couttry for long time. In fact, when
/ came by there few days ago one Of
the old residents who witnessed the kill
ing mentioned it to me aud said he
could scarcely believe it even after sec.
ing it. Bill never missed his mark. !
have seen him take pistol in each
hand and fire with right and left pis-
col at can thrown in the air, hitting
it with both bullets. BY the way, ]
heard very funny story told on Bill
some time ago. II yon remember, he
married Mrs. Agnes Lake, widow OF
Lake, the circus man. Bill fairly wor-
shipped his wife, but despite his great
love for her she never could induce him
to quit drinking. He would come home
full OF bad whiskey, and one day Mrs.
Hickok said to him:
"Biil, If you don't quit this drink
ing pretty soon you will actually begin
to see monkeys
Monkcysf said he. what do you
moan, little onel
why, you know, when people back
cast drink too much of the kind OF
whiskey they get back there they see
snakes, but this awful stuff out her,
makes them see monkeys
"Bill laughed at her and did not give
the matter second thought, little
dreaming that she had put up job to
break him of his Incorporate habits.
There was tame monkey in the town
Cheyenne, Ibelievc it was-and Mrs.
Hickok had induced its owner TO loan it
to her for night. Bill came home that
night comfortably drunk, and after he
had gone to sleep his wife secured the
monkey and chained it to the foot of the
bed. Then turning down the light a
little, she too. retired and awaited re-
suits. Bill woke up in the night burn :
ing with thirst and raised up into sit
ting posture, intending to get out of
bed and get drink of water. There,
perchcd on the footboard was the mon
key, staring him in the face with hide
Gus gfimaces. He rubbed his bleared
eyes, looked again, and horrible sus-
picion came into his befuddled brain.
Had his wife told him the truth2 Did
he really have 'em2 Finally, he sprang
out on the floor, seized his six-shooter.
which lay on table near. levelled it at
the grinning creature and said:
Now, old man, if you are a mon
key you're in bad fix. if GU amt a
monkey I'm in n bal fix At the same
instant he fired, and the monkey fell
over in the agonies of death His wife,
who had been watching the working
of her scheme, sprang up in the bed
with scream, and Bill, turning to her
with broad smile of the most intense
satisfaction, said:
Little woman, congratulate me for
i have just had wonderful escape. ]
amt as drunk as I though / was, an
theresa monkey layin' there on the floor
thatll never intrudc itself into tie do
mestic felicity OF another happy family
an make a gentleman think he's got the